As your parents get up in years, they will face a variety of challenges that will be difficult for them and for you. Many have gone the route of finding a nursing home where their parents will be able to get the care that is needed as they age and as they face new challenges.
It is important for you to be as involved as possible in the care that your parents are receiving in the nursing home. You may not be able to spend all of your time there, but make sure that you are visiting often and that the doctors and caretakers know who you are. The more often they see you, the more likely they are to tell you things that are going on with your parents. If you can establish a good relationship with the caretakers and medical professionals who work in the facility, your parents are likely to get the best care possible.
You want to be fully aware of the medication and medical treatments that your parents receive. There is usually a nursing home MAR that contains information about the type of medication your parents have been prescribed and have taken. Make sure that you fully understand the type of medication they are taking and make sure your questions get answered. Take time to find out more about the conditions that your parents may have and learn about the variety of treatments that are available. It is extremely important to be proactive when it comes to the medical care they receive.
It is good to remember that emotional and mental health is just as important as physical health. This may require that you take your parents on outings if it is possible and provide them with friendship and entertainment. Of course, the type of activities your parents will be able to engage in will depend on their circumstances. Also, the amount of time that you have to dedicate to their care will depend on your circumstances. However, do the best you can to give them the emotional and mental support they need.
I came from a country where the family is so tight-knit, children don’t leave home even well into maturity. This means a majority of Filipinos take care of their parents in their old age. But I do know that some people are not able to do that, or somewhere along the way, something happened that led to the parent, living in a nursing home. Although I’d prefer my parent to be with the family even as they become really old, I do not disregard the importance and the help that nursing homes can provide. And I like your advice here, the children should maintain constant communication with the care provider so they know exactly what is going on with their parents. Just because they are no longer living together, or that somebody else is taking care of their parents, doesn’t mean that the responsibility is off their shoulders.
My in-laws are both in a nursing home. Good to read someone else’s thoughts. Really difficult at times
This is important information to remember as we deal with parents aging and more likely to live long enough to be in a nursing home. Thank you!
It must be so difficult for someone to suddenly start losing everything in their life, the best thing being freedom to do as they please. This is very important.
You gave really great advice here for anyone considering using a nursing home for their parent. I am sure it is a really hard decision to make so having all the factors to consider laid out like this is really useful.
Nice tips. I wonder how family manages in such scenarios. Your post will help those who are facing this situation.
I am very involved and do a lot of research. Thanks for this 🙂
Im very lucky to have parents that are still very fit and healthy and even grandparents that are still living by themselves without trouble. But you are giving some good advice and I will keep it in mind. There may come a time that I will have to deal with this.
Its a tough situation and different people address it differently. Many will not send their parents to a nursing home but others will. We try to do our best and to the best of our ability. Our parents did take care of us when we were young and its only right to return the kindness.
Good post and good ways to go about this but really a hard choice or decision for alot of people to make considering that at the end if it all we want the best for our aging parents..
Here in the Philippines and most parts of Asia, it isn’t in our norm to send our grandparents to a home care. Family is important to us, and the elders are very important at home. We care to them as gratitude of giving us this life. Also the love is unconditional.
Agree with all of these, Patience in nursing our parents at home is also very important.
I have been going through this myself and it is not fun. You share a lot of wonderful tips and this is a discussion we all should be having. Thank you
My grandmother just moved to assisted living, not quite a nursing home. But this is good information to keep in mind. It is often up to family to make sure that no harm comes to our loved ones as they age.